Healdsburg Elementary and junior high also getting upgrades
The day after Healdsburg High School seniors cross the stage and the rest of the student body goes home for the summer, major construction begins at the high school. Significant renovations to buildings and the construction of a new science/engineering building are planned for the site. Technology infrastructure will be upgraded so students have regular access to high speed Internet from all buildings on Healdsburg Unified School District campuses. A variety of facility upgrades to Healdsburg Elementary School (HES and Fitch Mountain campuses) will also commence, but that construction is more minor than at the high school. Additionally, the new junior high buildings are scheduled to be completed this summer, according to HUSD Superintendent Jeff Harding.
HHS Principal Chris Vanden Heuvel said that the high school’s upgrades and new buildings will bring modern, state of the art facilities to students that will provide deeper learning opportunities and better prepare them for what they will encounter in college and 21st Century careers.
“Whether through our brand new science labs, a comprehensive instructional kitchen and café, a digital media production facility or dedicated agricultural facilities, and the list goes on and on, all students will have better opportunities to prepare themselves for future success,” Vanden Heuvel said.
Vanden Heuvel’s Tumblr blog gives an overview of the makeover planned for the high school.
In June of 2012, Healdsburg voters approved Measure E, a $35 million bond initiative to modernize and improve the facilities at the junior high, Marce Becerra and HHS campuses. While the junior high started construction last summer, the project at the high school was much larger and demanded a longer planning period. This summer, HHS will embark on a three-year construction project that will change the face of the school.
The first phase of construction will begin on June 6 and will include a renovated arts and digital media building, a brand new classroom, a café and instructional kitchen for the culinary arts program. According to Mark Quattrocchi, principal of Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, the design firm for the development and modernization projects at the high school and junior high, the biggest change on campus will be the remade culinary arts program and the arts programs. “They are really successful programs but the facilities they’re working in are pretty difficult, so we’re completely remaking [the facilities] to better support the programs,” Quattrocchi said.
Another big change will be a new science building that will be “remarkably different and a better environment for teachers and students.” The building will house three classrooms, as well as an oversized Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) classroom with outdoor access. This room will be able to meet the needs of varied classes, such as engineering, physics and agriculture.
Smith Robinson Gym and the adjacent boys locker room will begin repairs and earthquake retrofitting on its roof, as well as an upgrade to its ventilation and heating system. All campus buildings will be rewired to provide robust wireless Internet access. Finally, common areas such as sidewalks and quads will be improved to provide more opportunities and access for students. While construction of the science building will last into January, the other projects are scheduled to be completed by November.
Phase two will begin in June 2016, and will primarily focus on HHS’ main building. First, the outdated science classrooms at the front of the building will be removed.
Quattrocchi said that the current science classrooms are “woefully undersized by any standards for secondary school.”
After the science classrooms are taken down, an entry plaza with outdoor learning spaces and an adjacent conference room will be created. “The classrooms we’re building are better set up for a differentiated learning environment, and part of that is the outdoor learning areas,” Quattrocchi said. He added that handicap accessibility issues will be fixed at the same time.
All classrooms in the main building will be updated with incorporated audio/visual systems. Finally, the main building’s heating, air conditioning and roof will be replaced.
Vanden Heuvel said that while there will be construction during the school year, the high school has worked with their contractor to minimize disruptions to learning and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff. “For instance, highly disruptive activities, such as removal of structures, will occur during the summer,” he said.
Phase three is currently scheduled for June 2017. However, this phase of the project is dependent on millions of dollars of modernization monies being issued from the state. If finances allow, construction of an auditorium and agricultural science classroom will begin. The auditorium would provide an opportunity for formal meetings and performances. This space would be used on a daily basis as an extension of the classroom, allowing students to gain the experience of giving formal presentations from a stage, performing a musical or dramatic piece, watching a film or enabling a panel discussion. Lastly, the agricultural science classroom would be constructed in the current stage area of Frost Hall. It would be located close to the school’s new farm/garden area, next to the new STEM building, and would incorporate a meeting room for FFA activities.
Vanden Heuvel is most looking forward to two aspects of the project.
“First, I’m very excited to see the amazing learning and teaching that will be able to occur as a result of the modernization. There will be so many more resources and opportunities to enhance every student’s educational experience. Secondly, HHS has a strong sense of pride based in tradition and excellence in our students and programs. But the pride we take in our school is not enhanced, or even represented, in our campus or buildings. I’m very excited to have a campus that will provide an architectural identity for our school and be a source of great pride for our students and community,” he said.
